Etton
Common Knowledge Etton is a nation described as a “Myraid of cultures in a simple life.” Located South of Talios, Etton is a place of diversity, trade, and intermingling of cultures. It is also the home of the Divinity, an order of magic users who are split between life and death magic. Etton has a rich history which appeals to many people, but also has myths of horrific entities which make Eton their home. Topography and Climate Etton is a geographically diverse landscape, with mountains to the southwest and forest to the northeast. In between, vast fields and hills. It matches the neighboring topography. The landscape is pockmarked with features ranging from towns and cities to abandoned fortresses, ruins, and old mines. Etton has a temperate climate, and its residents are able to experience a comfortable four seasons. Population There are many different peoples settled here from all over Orelisle. Due to the history of diverse races inhabiting this country, the people living there now are relatively undisturbed and don't suffer under discrimination. Exports and Trades Etton has a diverse economy and exports almost everything, from animals and livestock to Mined Ore to crafted trinkets. They have a large amount of magic users, specifically Animi due to The Divinity and Druids because of the vast amount of farmland. Those that don’t cast magic are usually separated into two groups, Merchants and Farmers, there are of course those that aren’t within these but they are few and far between. Government Etton is ruled by a council. The council, located in Etton (the city), is comprised of elected representatives: Three from every large city, two for every medium-sized town, and one from every small village. The council also has three members of each divinity on it, as even though the divinities don’t control the nation anymore, they do still play a decent part in its culture. Council Terms last two years, and are offset, so the Council is constantly changing. There is no term limit, but it is rare for someone to serve more than three terms Local governments are decided at the local level. They function to work with their own towns and the areas. Many small villages work together in trade networks or in alliances, to both serve their interests on the council. Social Hierarchy and Culture Today, Etton is at peace, and intends to stay as such. Etton’s residents are diverse, as they were descended from farmers and travelers who stayed to learn magic and help fight in the Divinity War. As such, the country enjoys a very wide and unprejudiced racial diversity. Many Ettonians are casters or farmers or traders. Farm Magicians. Most casters from Etton are Animi due to Divinity influence, or are Druids for farming purposes. The Divinity Founded by Bulen and Selthra, the Divinity is somewhere between an guild, a church, and a school. Originally, it was a religious school that taught its members the magic of life and death, and worshipped the Gods who granted the Etton Siblings the knowledge in the first place. Shortly after its founding, the Divinity split into the White and Black Divinity, which focused on healing and life magic, and death magic respectively, and were commanded by their respective sibling. The country was originally grown under the Divinity, but after a civil war in which the two Divinities did battle, they reached a truce. The Divinity withdrew from ruling, and let a government form with little Divinity influence, a precedent that serves to this day. The religious aspect of the Divinity diminished substantially once the higher-ups in the respective churches discovered that the Gods they owed their power to were merely the Reapers Azerath and Zinthos, who were simply teaching their devout followers their respective magics. And while this is not known to most, the knowledge isn’t exactly hidden from the public. The Divinities have reformed themselves as schools and orders. A place where those seeking to learn the teachings of life or death magic can go. Their mages work to improve Etton and their surrounding allies. Neither Divinity is inherently bad, except maybe in the eyes of the other. That being said, old habits die hard. Years of war cannot be erased by years of peace. And so, most of Etton’s towns, cities, and villages, have a strong presence from one side of the divinity or the other. Selthrim and Catel are both cities with a strong White presence and influence, Buler and Bastion are two with a strong Black influence. Etton, right in the middle, remains neutral, as do many villages. In these polarized cities, members of the opposing Divinity who wear their colors are often prejudiced or scorned against to some extent. The Divinities are at peace today, though it may sometimes seem like their contrasting views are leading them to another war. Folklore: the Beings of Ruin An odd part of Etton’s folklore talks about the Beings of Ruin, a series of six monsters, unique in form and abilities, who seek to bring havoc to the world. No one is sure where they come from, and though they are mainly legend, evidence of the Beings, or at least a few of them, has led to the rest being seen as more than just legend. They are said to live across the continent, but no one knows exactly where: The Pale Man: The first of the Beings to appear. The Pale Man appears as a tall figure with pale grey skin, black eyes, and a sinister smirk. He dresses in a simple black garment. The Pale Man was known to be a harbinger of death, as his appearance always heralded a deadly accident. In reality, this was due to a powerful telekinetic ability that let it cause “accidents.” The Pale Man was defeated and destroyed by the combined efforts of Bulen and Selthra Etton. The Erezech Ruin: This creature gave the group their collective name, as it was the next to be written into legend. The Erezech Nightmare stalks the Erezech forest, a small but thick grove. It is said to toy with its victims, letting them wander through its woods, scaring them at every possible turn before finally killing the terrified prey. The few accounts of this creature vary, but most describe it as large, black-skinned, with tentacles and large, silvery eyes. The creature seems to appear whenever you turn back, and once it has you in its sights, you are powerless to stop it as your very senses seem to shut down. In actuality, this is due to the Erezech Nightmare’s two main abilities: To teleport short distances at will, and to discharge electricity, interfering with travelers’ neurological signals, messing with their senses and movement. The Erezech Ruin, as far as it is known in Etton, is still out there in the forest, waiting for the next hapless traveler. The Golem King: A colossus of stone and clay. The Golem King, legends say, at its height, could rival mountains in height. Though generally nonviolent, the Golem King was immensely strong, and nearly invulnerable. In addition, it is capable of “chipping” itself, letting pieces of itself fall off and form into normal sized golems set to perform a specific mundane task. The Golem King, during the Divinity War, was tricked by Selthra into splitting into an enormous amount of standard sized Golems to fight for her. Most were destroyed by the Black Divinity, though some still guard an empty fortress near the village of Tai to this day, aimless and serving only to guard the fortress. The Spider Queen: In Etton’s Easternmost point is a small petrified forest. In the center of that forest is the abandoned town of Veil. And within that town lives the Spider Queen, a grotesque spiderlike creature that stands twenty feet tall. She is a master of illusions, and will often disguise Veil to look like a friendly place to entrance victims, until they can be bitten and enslaved for real. The Spider Queen’s greatest assets are her web of lies and her venom. Her webs can conduct a magical current, which project upon them illusion of sight when seen, and illusions of sound when twanged. Her venom is a potent toxin that breaks down the victim’s mental inhibitions, allowing her to enslave them until they finally succumb to the venom’s terminal effects, a few days later. The Formless: A body-hopping psionic entity. The Formless can jump between organic bodies and claim their minds, gaining not only complete control of the weak-willed, but access to their memories and thoughts. The Formless was trapped in a Goblin’s body by the Black Divinity. The creature was then imprisoned in the Tesseract Prison, until its destruction allowed it to escape in the body of its Warden Unit Golem. Its current whereabouts are unknown, as it could be anywhere… or anyone. The Toy: An old toymaker’s last creation. The legend goes that an old toymaker wished to craft for his child the greatest toy of all time. But he became so wrapped up in his work that by the time he emerged from his workshop, ten years had passed, and his child had grown up and moved on. Distraught and devastated that he had missed his kid’s childhood, he returned to his workshop and activated the unfinished Toy, knowing that in its incomplete state it would be very volatile and very dangerous, and would likely end his life. The Toy, appearing as a massive metal automaton in the form of a warped and unfinished child, supposedly roams the tunnels and catacombs where the Toymaker’s Workshop was located, under an unidentified village in Etton somewhere, occasionally surfacing to kidnap people, in a deranged attempt to use their flesh to complete itself. Cities, Towns, and Villages In addition to these following five cities, Etton has a number of smaller towns and villages, scattered around the country, serving a variety of functions. Many smaller towns or villages gain their commerce and economic growth from one particular thing, such as hunting the nearby forests, mining the rich ground, or farming the fertile soil. Other towns work off trade and grow from that. Many have at least some influence by one of the Divinities, but there are plenty that prefer to remain neutral or partake in the magic of both. Etton In the center of Etton is its capitol, which bears the same name. Etton is primarily a trade/merchant city, but it is surrounded by miles of farmland, a relic of its early days. It has no strong Divinity Affiliation, and is one of Etton’s only truly neutral settlements. Selthrim To the North is Selthrim, the home of the White Divinity. Selthrim is a very commerce-based city, and produces many manufactured goods. Selthrim is probably the most divinity-controlled city in Etton. Catel In the West, on the Kuragman border, is Catel. Catel, another White-aligned city, acts as the primary trade center and Embassy with Kuragma as well as farther West nations. It is one of the only places in Etton where Bull-Kin can be found regularly, trading wares and entering the country. Buler To the South of the country is Buler. Buler is the home of the Black Divinity. Buler is located at the base of the Mt. Eldro, and takes its commerce from mining and hunting in the mountains and foothills. Buler, despite its strong affiliation with Death magic, is actually a pretty nice place. Bastion Finally, in the East, in a forested region, sits the city of Bastion. Bastion is a fortified, walled city built by and occupied by the Black Divinity so that civilians in Dark Divinity territory could live safely during the Divinity War. Bastion is primarily a city of logging, hunting, and manufacturing of wood or leather or fur products. Towns and Villages Tai Tai is a small village in Northern Central Etton just Northwest of the capital. They say that Tai has historically been protected by a magic barrier that keeps out attackers. The barrier is powered by four crystals, one for each of the towers located on the four corners of Tai. Haven Falls Haven Falls is a quaint, idyllic village in Southwest Etton, situated in Haven Valley, a beautiful area between Mt. Eldro, Mt. Sindria, and Mt. Algrim. Haven Valley is on the Western border of Etton which is shared by both Eirene Necros and Kuragma. For nearly 50 years, the beauty and serenity of Haven Falls has drawn outcasts looking to live a quiet peaceful life, and the natural barriers of the mountains have kept it quiet and peaceful. Except recently. Haven Falls was founded by Lorraine Lenorre, a human woman who had a knack for finding friends in the outcasts of the world. With a small party of ~20, she founded the village in a previously uninhabited valley in West Etton that was previously only used for a mining operation in the mountain. The natural protection of the mountains and seclusion made the valley a remarkably peaceful place. In the following 50 years, Haven Falls drew a small number of villagers from all over the continent. When Lorraine passed away of natural causes a few years ago, the village mourned the loss of a truly good woman. Tarallia of Clan Hearthfire, a Bullwoman refugee from Kuragma, took over as village leader, making it a point to carry on her vision. Alliances Unknown, but Etton has a fairly open-door policy which allows Trade without Aliances. Enemy Countries Unknown. Founding and History Etton came to be during the late Second Age of the Era of Pral, only several centuries old. The story goes that there was a brother and a sister, hailing from another far-away land. Their names were Bulen and Selthra Etton. After months of travels, looking for a place to call home, they found a small village in a vast field. The village bore no name, and its residents, though diverse in race, were strikingly few. They lived simply and peacefully, farming when they could and trading with any travelers when they could. Bulen and Selthra offered their services to the community, and were welcomed in with open arms. Ten years passed, and the nameless village still stood alone in the field. It had only grown a little in that time, from children born and travelers, who much like the Ettons, became enamored with its quaintness and decided to stay. But life was good, and life was simple. That is, until tragedy struck. It was a three-pronged attack. One from a band of outlaws who saw the nameless village as their newest target. One from the blight that struck their crops. And one from the Pale Man, the First of the Beings of Ruin, who would appear unmoving outside the village, and whose presence would hail an unforeseen accident resulting in someone’s death. A meeting was called. It seemed that with the outlaws targeting the village, the plague over the crops, and the presence of the Pale Man, their little haven was doomed. Bulen and Selthra spoke up. “This place has been a home for us for ten long and wonderful years,” They said. “You have all given us so much, it is time for us to repay you.” “But you cannot possibly hope to simply fight off our torments,” One villager said. “You may be correct,” They replied, “But we can leave. We can explore. We can scour the landscape for a miracle. And maybe, just maybe, we can find something to save our home.” The villagers knew it was a slim chance, but they were willing to take it. So the Etton siblings left. And a year passed. Outlaws struck from time to time, stealing resources and valuables. Only a few crops could be grown, so stockpiles dwindled and people went hungry. And every couple months, the Pale Man would return, setting his black, unblinking eyes and murderous smirk upon yet another poor villager. They needed a miracle. And the Ettons found two. Shortly after leaving, the Ettons chose to split up, to cover more ground. Selthra went to the North and found a marble shrine. She prayed and was spoken to by a God of Light. And the God of Light taught her magic, magic of life and healing. Satisfied and confident that she could help, she returned home. Bulen went to the South and found an obsidian shrine. He prayed and was spoken to by a God of Dark. And the God of Dark taught him magic, magic of death and decay. Satisfied and confident that he could help, he returned home. By chance, they arrived within days of each other, and just in the nick of time. The two were happy to see each other again, and were impressed by what the other had learned. Together, they purged their crops of blight. The struck down the outlaws and made them swear to never return. And the Pale Man, stories differ, but they agree that together, the two siblings made an unstoppable pair and the Pale Man was never seen again. The villagers were so grateful; they finally gave their village a name: Etton, for the two who had saved their lives. A few years had passed. Etton, now bearing a name and a legacy, began to grow quickly. The vast field that had originally been their home now hosted several more settlements, as well as the surrounding forests and hills. People came to this place, both for the entrancing simple life, and for the promise of magic, for Bulen and Selthra began teaching their magic to those around them. But it wasn’t long before factions grew. They originally taught side-by-side, in a collective called “Divinity” in honor of the Gods who had taught them. And this went well. For a while. The Divinity split, when the siblings began arguing over the polar natures of their respective magic. Bulen took his students and formed the Black Divinity. Selthra formed the Light Divinity with hers. They both left Etton, and they and their students formed new cities, to the North and to the South, where they had found the shrines of their Gods. To the North, the city of Selthrim. Selthrim hosted the White Divinity, and became a trading and business hub. To the South, the city of Buler. Buler hosted the Black Divinity, and became one just the same. From these points, their lands expanded as more and more people came to Selthrim and Buler. They made new cities, new towns. Both siblings claimed the name Etton and so the lands were all Etton until they finally met in the middle, back in the village where it all had started. The Divinities, effectively ruling Etton as a split theocracy, went to war. Selthra and Bulen at the heads of it all. Fortresses were built, battles were fought. The civil war of the Divinities lasted fifteen years. The climax of this war came to be when Selthra and Bulen found themselves face-to-face for the first time in many years. The siblings, now both old, now both powerful mages, both weathered and experienced, and both much wearier than they realized, did battle. They fought for three days and three nights, without end. People from either side came to watch, silently, as brother fought sister without end. There were many points where it seemed that one would win, only for it to completely flip. Then, simultaneously, the Ettons realized they couldn’t do it. They were exhausted. They had given all they had. The battle was done. So were they. The battle had lasted as long as it did because they had never wanted to fight. The two, after all these years, stopped the war, embraced, and with their dying breaths, asked that the Divinities end their fight. And out of respect, out of love, and out of reason, they did. Etton has since grown past its theocratic days, and is now governed by a council, but the Divinity still holds a strong presence in Etton. White and Black Divinities are still separate, and though the two are at peace, and have been for many years, they disagree on many issues and it often seems like another war is only a short ways away.Category:Countries